Saving Configuration Data

Backup files are saved to a compressed aea file (by default, /var/backups/cfgback.tgz). It is a good practice to back up your system regularly, especially when making many system customizations.

To back up your configuration using Backup Tool

1. Connect to the appliance using SSH or a serial connection, and log in as root.

2. Type config_backup, specifying any of the following optional parameters:

   config_backup [-f <tarfile>] [-q] [-d <debuglevel>] [-h]

Parameters for configuration backup

Parameter	Description
-f <tarfile>	Backs up your configuration to the specified file. This parameter is required only if you want to back up to a different backup file than the default file: /var/backups/cfgback.aea Setting this parameter is not recommended, because the restore program normally looks for the default file when restoring.
-q	Turns off the confirmation prompts (making the backup “quiet”). Normally, you are prompted when you might overwrite an existing backup file.
-d <debuglevel>	Specifies how much information to display about the backup operation. Set <debuglevel> to an integer between 0 (no information) and 10 (complete information). The default is 1 (normal information).
-h	Shows help listing available parameters.

When you run Config Backup Tool, it saves your system configuration files to a backup file with the name and location specified above. If a backup file already exists at that location, you are prompted to confirm that you want to overwrite it (unless you use the -q parameter).

Your configuration is automatically backed up if you install a new system update using Update Tool. This will not overwrite manual backups created by an administrator.

For additional protection, use a program like SCP to copy the .tgz file from the appliance to a separate location, such as a drive on your network or removable media.

You can automate backups by adding Backup Tool to a script. In this case, use the -q parameter to suppress confirmation prompts.